How to Market Your Small Business Without Spending a Fortune

Luna Williams
Oct 14
3 min read

Inspired by The Thrive Club’s Masterclasses with Ina Yulo Stuve, Head of Marketing for Startups UK&I, Amazon Web Services, and Jarmila Yu, Founder of YUnique Marketing.

Running your own business often means wearing all the hats — CEO, marketing manager, social media expert, and occasionally the tea maker. It’s easy to feel like marketing is something you’ll “get to later,” or that you need a big budget to make it work.The truth? You don’t.

Here’s how to build visibility, attract the right clients, and grow your business — even if you’re doing it all yourself.

1. Start by Knowing Your Customers Inside Out

Before you spend a penny on ads or fancy tools, get crystal clear on who you’re talking to. Ina Yulo Stuve, Head of Marketing for Small Business UK & Ireland at AWS, calls this the foundation of every successful business.

Look at what your customers are asking for, not just what you want to sell.Use free tools like Instagram polls, Google Forms, or even WhatsApp chats to find patterns. You’ll start to see what people really value — and that’s where your marketing should begin.

Marketing Essentials for Startups, presented by Ina Yulo Stuve at a Thrive Club meeting — Ina Yulo Stuve Presents Marketing Essentials for Startups at the Thrive Club

2. Build a Brand That Feels Real — Not Perfect

You don’t need a polished agency-style brand. You need a human one. As Jarmila Yu, founder of YUnique Marketing, puts it: “People buy from people they like and trust.”

Think of your brand as a personality. Are you the calm mentor? The creative visionary? The bold trailblazer? Once you decide, keep your tone, visuals, and values consistent everywhere — from your website to your email signature.That’s what makes you memorable.

3. Make Your Online Presence Work Harder for You

Your digital presence is your shop window. That means your website, social media, and even your Google profile are where first impressions happen.

Focus on:

A mobile-friendly, SEO-optimised website
Keyword-rich blog posts that answer your customers’ questions
Social content that builds trust and invites conversation

And remember — you don’t need to post daily. You just need to show up consistently and be useful.

4. Sell Through Storytelling

Marketing sparks curiosity. Sales turns that curiosity into revenue. The sweet spot, Jarmila says, is when both happen naturally — through your story.

Tell people why you started, what problem you solve, and how you’ve helped others. It doesn’t need to be dramatic — just honest. The more real you are, the more people will connect with you.

5. Collaborate Your Way to Visibility

One of the smartest marketing moves you can make? Collaboration. Ina encourages small business owners to “borrow audiences” instead of constantly chasing new ones.

Find complementary brands, influencers, or communities to partner with. You could co-host an event, run a joint giveaway, or swap newsletter mentions. It’s free, fun, and effective — and it builds instant credibility.

Jarmila Yu, Founder of YUnique Marketing sharing her expertise on Marketing at a Thrive Club meeting — Jarmila Yu, Founder of YUnique Marketing, speaking at a Thrive Club event in Surrey.

6. Let Data (Not Doubt) Drive Your Decisions

You don’t need to be a data scientist — but you do need to track what’s working.Look at what posts get the most enquiries, which emails get opened, and where your website traffic comes from.

As Jarmila puts it: “Measure what multiplies.”When you see the patterns, you can double down on what works and stop wasting time on what doesn’t.

7. Use AI to Save Time, Not Replace You

AI can be your best marketing assistant. It can write captions, suggest hashtags, schedule posts, and even analyse engagement trends.But the magic still comes from you — your story, your voice, your values.

Use AI to speed things up so you can focus on strategy, creativity, and connection.